Love Yourself
by DylangraceB
Summary: Apologies to my "It Is What It Is" fans but Justin Bieber's song, "Love Yourself" has been following me around all summer. The more I heard it the more I became convinced that a tongue-tied, rock star Will Darcy might find this the perfect way to send a message to one Caroline Bingley. I hope you enjoy this little one-shot.
1. Chapter 1

He was running terribly late. It had taken hours to get the sound just right on the latest track he'd recorded and he simply couldn't break away until they'd nailed it. He really only needed one more song to wrap up the album. His producer had been pressuring him but the song that kept recurring in his mind was not one he actually wanted to record. As much as memories of her made him cringe, because really, what HAD he been thinking in dating her, the song was almost writing itself. He needed another inspiration.

As he pulled up the drive in the his silver roadster, he could hear the jazz band starting another set. Damn, he was almost two hours late. His mum would kill him. Perhaps she hadn't noticed? Yea right. Mum was right by the garden doors. "Well, look who decided to turn up to his mother's party. Nice of you to drop by Fitzwilliam."

Guilt spread across his face. "Sorry mum. Truly. Everything looks wonderful. You've really outdone yourself this year."

"Flattery will get you almost anywhere but is not going to excuse the fact that Caroline and Louisa Bingley showed up two hours ago on your invite and you haven't been here."

"I'm sorry, who?" Will spluttered, amazed at the gall of those two women. How dare they simply show up at his mum's birthday party without an invitation.

"The Bingley twins. Caroline claims she was invited by you and apparently wherever she goes her sister must come with?"

"Excuse me mum. They were most definitely not invited." He was about to make his way over to Caroline to find out why in blazes she was here when his attention was arrested by the laughter erupting from the lips of a beautiful girl. Big brown eyes, fantastic legs and loose brown curls surrounded her heart shaped face and all this beauty was focused on his cousin Richard. "Uh mum? Who's with Richie?"

"Oh that's Elizabeth, your cousin's date. She is lovely. So smart and funny. He's really got quite the catch there." Anne Darcy smiled. Those two always seemed to compete for women, except in the case of Caroline. Richard seemed to recognize right from the start to stay far away.

William was about to introduce himself to Richard's latest find when he found his arm gripped by ice cold fingers. "You're finally here William. We've been waiting for hours for you finally to arrive. Let's go upstairs and get you properly attired."

"Caroline. What are you talking about? Actually, don't answer that. Rather, why are you here?"

She laughed. That annoying high pitch giggle. Who laughs like that anyway? Is it supposed to sound cute? Attractive?

"You are so funny. As soon as you mentioned your mother's annual garden party this weekend I knew you wouldn't want me to miss it so I cleared my schedule to be here. Of course, everyone understood that I would have to be at your mother's party."

William actually couldn't deal with Caroline at this moment. Her insinuation into his life continued and at some point it needed to stop. But more important things always seemed to take precedence. This afternoon the important thing was the beautiful girl Richard seemed to have found. Was she attracted to him? If she was, his cousin had certainly struck gold. Wandering away from Caroline, her voice droning on in the background, he found himself face to face with a goddess.

"Hi." He stared dumbly at the woman whose mere presence had encouraged him to cross the patio.

"Hi." She looked expectantly at him waiting for an introduction. She knew no one here aside from Rich and Annie. Of course, everyone, except for those auburn haired women (truly it was orange but auburn sounded much more politic, even in own's own head), had been exceptionally welcoming thus far. She didn't expect anything less from this newcomer.

"Um. I'm Will. Richard's cousin. My mum mentioned you'd came with him. I wanted to welcome you to Pemberley." She blushed. She was even more beautiful with the pink roses which graced her cheeks.

"It's been lovely to be included. Both of your cousins insisted I join once it was determined that it would be best for Annie if someone could drive her here. I was more than happy to have the opportunity. I've seen pictures of this estate on the telly but feel privileged to actually attend a garden party," Elizabeth gushed.

It was Will's turn to blush. Yes, he was actually blushing at her praise. Searching his brain for a topic, anything really, to keep the conversation going, Will began to speak just as she did. "Oh please go ahead," Lizzy offered.

"I was just going to ask if you've had a tour of the house yet."

"No, but I've spent time wandering the gardens though. They are simply stunning."

"The peonies are my mum's favorite so I think how much one likes the gardens is often ruled by their opinion on that particular flower." Will couldn't seem to stop himself from rambling on about topics of little consequence. What he really wanted to know, he didn't feel he had the privilege to ask.

"Lucky for me I love peonies too." Lizzy was smiling slightly to herself, unsure where this conversation was going. She thought this guy was hot, not to mention a ridiculously talented rock star, but she couldn't figure out how to transition the conversation to a new topic. Gardens were safe and she wasn't sure if she should take a risk. Fortunately for her, Will finally got the courage to depart from the banal.

"How long have you known my cousins?" He asked innocently.

"I've known Annie for two years now. Her usual flat mate Charlotte is my best friend from home. I've stayed over a few times and we got to know one another. Now, lucky me, I'm subletting from Charlotte for the summer so Annie and I get to share some space."

William nodded his head, hesitated and then blurted out his next question. "So have you and Richard been dating long?"

Her warm laugh was the only response at first. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. Your cousin is really a great guy but we're not dating or anything. I think he told people we were because this woman was hanging on him when we first arrived. I really need him to clear that up. A number of people have said something about it, including his mum and yours. We can't let this misunderstanding continue."

Relief flooded his brain. He hadn't realized how much he did not want her to be dating his cousin. The idea to provide Elizabeth with a tour of the house was on the tip of his tongue when that same cold hand wrapped itself around his bicep. Caroline really did have terrible timing.

"Will darling. I know you are just trying to be a good host but really, you can't simply walk away when we're talking. Let's get you upstairs and I'll pick out something suitable to wear before I have to head off. We can't have you embarrassing me." Caroline was tugging on his arm, pulling away from Elizabeth. He was about to tell Caroline off when Richard seemed to swoop in, wrap his arm around Will's dream girl, whisking her away to the dance floor. Caroline looked over at his cousin and Elizabeth, a slight curl to her lip. "Oh thank goodness I was able to get you away from them. You are simply too good; being gracious and a host to your cousins' wayward guest. I mean really. Bringing a complete unknown to your mother's party. It sounds as if she just invited herself along. What could she be thinking? Did she tell you she's watched shows on the television about the great houses of England? Clearly she's not of the same class that we are." Caroline was droning on and on and Will felt weighed down. Why did she always have to rain on his parade. He'd actually been enjoying himself at this garden party, for the first time in years, and all she could do was criticize. Her comments continued. She had no shortage of views about the way people were dressed, the way people danced, etc. Simply no one met Caroline's exacting standards. He'd had enough.

"Caroline, I think we need to talk."

"Of course dear. I'm always here for you. I know we haven't been as close lately but I'm prepared to take you back."

"No, I don't think you understand. I don't..."

"Will love, let's talk this over a bottle of Bordeaux at my apartment tomorrow night. I promised Louisa I'd get her back in time for dinner with her dreadful fiancé. I simply can't stay any longer but I know you appreciate my effort coming to this party. I'd only do something so selfless for you."

Before he could respond, Caroline pushed him into his bathroom with a change of clothes she'd selected. He looked down at the outfit. It was one she'd actually purchased for him a few months ago. Correction. She hadn't actually spent her own money on the items in his hands. She'd selected it on one of their shopping trips when they actually had been dating. Reflecting on his misspent months he shook his head. This had to stop. He re-entered his room to find her rifling through his closet.

"Caroline OUT!"

She spun around in shock. "What? Will you haven't changed."

Pure unadulterated anger consumed him. How dare she rifle through his things. He really couldn't even think clearly. "GET OUT!"

"Well, I never!" She huffed. "We will certainly talk about this tomorrow."

Unable to speak further he simply pointed to the door until she left. Falling down onto his bed he stared up at the ceiling, drawing deep breaths into his lungs in an effort to calm his racing heart. It was then he knew. He had to write this song because maybe if he put it out to the world, she would finally get the message. Grabbing a notebook and one of his old guitars propped against the wall, he began to scribble furiously. The words and then notes poured out of him. He had never written a song so quickly. Typically he labored to get the notes to line up with his messages but there was no such difficulty here. An hour after she had left, he recorded a voice memo on his phone and sent if off to Caroline with a simple text: I have written to this song for you.

 _**"Love Yourself"**_

 _\- Credit goes to Justin Bieber_

Purged of his unpleasant thoughts, he decided to go find that lovely girl with the sparkling eyes.


	2. Caroline's Dreams

I know I shouldn't have. I owe my "It is What it Is" followers many chapters but I'll admit to being a bit stuck so I put two chapters together for this story. It will have a total of 4 or 5 chapters and then I'll get back to business. I promise...

* * *

On the whole she decided to be satisfied with how the day had turned out. It hadn't begun so well. Given the distance from London and the need to prepare herself for the garden party, Louisa had booked them into a B&B whose time had passed. It may have been a top notch inn at one point but it had certainly lost its luster. The management got an earful from her before their noon checkout. To top it off, Will wasn't even at Pemberley when she arrived which must have explained why her reception wasn't particularly warm. She'd picked up on the sense that Anne Darcy wasn't thrilled she was joining the party. It almost felt as if Will's mum didn't like her. Caroline had to admit it was partly her own fault. If she'd known Will was in London, she'd have insisted he drive her to his mum's summer party. Her future mother-in-law would've had no complaints if she had arrived on Will's arm. Instead Louisa accompanied her for the trip north. The only benefit of bringing her sister along was having someone who could corroborate her attendance at this social event. The quick snaps they'd taken with Lady Matlock and Anne Darcy in the background didn't hurt either but Caroline was not one to be so obvious as to post the photos herself to Instagram or FaceBook. She'd leave that to her sister.

Her final conversation of the day with William hadn't gone very well either. If their relationship was going to work, he would need to become more accepting of her guidance and advice. Dressed in fine wool trousers, jacket and dress shirt, he was well attired. With Caroline's fashion influence though, he'd be drool worthy. And if she was to be photographed next to him, that was the standard for which she was aiming. Yes, once he had a moment to reflect, Will would realize she was only attempting to help. Caroline thought smugly, her social life would definitely getting a boost from that trip to Derbyshire once today's pics made their way onto social media - and that was only the beginning. All in all a well-spent day, she thought.

Glancing down at her phone, her eyes widened when she saw Will's text. He wrote her a song?! This was too good to be true. Looking around she cursed the fact that she hadn't checked her phone earlier. It would certainly show Louisa! Her twin had spent the car ride lecturing Caroline about slowing down her pursuit of Will. It had been a mistake to mention the little spat to her sister. Louisa, who was undoubtedly jealous, continued to spout useless advice about how to win a man. Who was she to talk? Her fiancé Louis was only a retired footballer, a has-been still recovering from a broken femur. He only had a fraction of Will Darcy's fame and wealth!

She was about to click on the text when the perfect idea came to mind. Laura and Susan were coming to pick her up on their way to a dinner party. How perfect would it be if they were with her when she noticed the message. Surely they'd insist on listening to her song. Dropping her phone in her bag, Caroline refreshed her lipstick while waiting for the girls to arrive. Thankfully they arrived a mere ten minutes later. The temptation her phone was presenting was almost too much to resist. The doorman called to let her know they were waiting in the lobby. Caroline grabbed her bag and began to head down. Better and better, she was greeted by Laura and Susan as well as Susan's cousin, Lilly. The bigger the audience the more people she had to repeat the tale...and Caroline had heard Lilly was very well connected with a talent for telling a story.

Air kisses and hugs were roundly distributed before Caroline began her performance, er, greetings, "Thank you so much for coming to pick me up. After driving back from Derbyshire today I'm simply too tired out to drive tonight."

Lilly played right into her hands. "What were you doing in Derbyshire?"

Caroline used her best bored voice, as if the drive was taken unwillingly. "I had to be at Pemberley for Anne Darcy's garden party today. I just could not let William down. It simply would not do for him to arrive dateless to his own mother's party. Of course, Louisa needed to be back for an engagement this evening so I drove back with her."

All three girls focused their attention on Caroline. Anne Darcy's garden party was limited to an exclusive set. Their newly sprung hope hinged on Caro's willingness to divulge details of the event. "I had no idea you were still close to the Darcy's. For some reason I thought you and Will were yesterday's news," Laura gushed.

She laughed, "I've let him know I'm willing to take him back. I mean really," Caroline paused for effect, "He needs me and only very recently has he realized how much." Caroline decided to put their final exchange out of her mind. Surely he was feeling guilty for the sharp way he'd spoken to her. The man wrote her a song! The girls began to ply her for information, hoping to get a bit more of the insider scoop on the Darcy's and their friends, information she was happy to supply and perhaps embellish. Caro began to wonder when the right moment would be to reveal her song. They'd asked for no hard evidence yet of her time in Derbyshire. There hadn't been a catalyst to pull out her phone yet, and really, there would be a much bigger audience at the party tonight. An idea blossomed. Surely, once her song was played at tonight's party, Will would have to include it on his next album. She seemed to recall him saying something about working on a new release, and really, she was just building up demand for his next album. He'd be thrilled. It was all falling into place. Caroline really couldn't be any happier about the day.

The atmosphere of the gathering was perfect: a low-key dinner party. Friends from uni and the club were catching up while sipping wine. Most of the room was familiar to her, the host being one of her brother's schoolmates whose sister had attended university in Bath a year behind Caroline. Music was playing in the background and it wouldn't be until after dinner, when everyone was relaxing having enjoyed rich food and a few glasses of wine that she should discover the text. Too bad Louisa wasn't here tonight. She'd have helped her set the stage. Oh well. Caroline was nothing if not inventive. If the right opportunity didn't naturally present itself she would create one.

There was really no need however. As dinner continued word of her day trip to Derbyshire was circulated around the room. The host, Harry Brooks was also good friends with William. It was actually a bit of a surprise to hear Caroline was with Will and wanted his own confirmation. Last time he'd spoken to Will it seemed like he was quite glad to see the backside of Miss Bingley. To be honest, he'd been relieved for his friend. His sister never had a nice thing to say about Caroline and he trusted his sister's judgment implicitly. As such, Harry decided to learn more about Caroline Bingley's trip to Derbyshire and her involvement with Will. He found his opportunity as he was passing out glasses of wine and other after-dinner drinks. "It's been awhile since I've seen Will. Has he been hiding in Derbyshire for awhile? Did he come back to London with you?"

"No, no, William needed to stay for the weekend. His mother would have been very put out had he left so quickly, especially after arriving late. I'm sure he won't be able to stay away from London for long however." Caroline was thinking of the song he'd written for her and couldn't wait to have him perform it for her in person. Surely he'd hurry back to give her a private performance. What should she wear...Her mind had drifted off thinking through her wardrobe when she recalled her host was still speaking.

Harry had realized Caroline was no longer paying attention, a look of pleasure across her distracted look. "You seem to have some pleasant thoughts on your mind. I'm sorry I've kept you."

"Oh I'm so sorry. I was just thinking of William. I should probably send him a quick text to let him know I arrived back in London safely. I'm sure he's worried." Lifting her phone from her bag she quickly touched the screen to find William's text, still on the screen. "Oh look. He's already texted me. Oh my. How sweet." She held her phone out far enough so others could see the text over her shoulder.

It was Lilly who squealed. "O.M.G. Will Darcy has written you a song. You have to let us play it. I would just die to have a hot rock star write me a song." The pitch of the girls voice quickly got the attention of everyone in the room.

Caroline tried to demure, just a little, but soon enough Lilly had placed her phone into the music dock. Caroline quickly found a seat in the center of the room, surrounded by the dinner guests, all waiting to listen to her song. She could pinch herself. All of her dreams were being realized.

* * *

So will Caro's dreams come true?


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the response to this bit of fun. Let's see how William is doing...

* * *

Will looked up at the clock. He hadn't realized how much time he'd frittered away on that stupid song. Dashing down the steps, he rushed to the garden relieved to see his cousins and Elizabeth still in attendance.

Richard spotted him at the same time and waved him over. "Oh hey Will. I'm glad you came down. We wanted to say goodbye."

William's stomach plummeted. "Where are you going? Surely you don't need to leave so soon? It's only 6."

"It's quite the drive to Kent and we planned to have an early night in Derby before Annie and Elizabeth head home tomorrow. I'd like to get there before too late so we can get settled in. If you can stick around a little while tomorrow I'll try to stop by so we can catch up a bit. It's been too long." Richard was about to turn away when William put a hand on his shoulder to stop his exit.

It was an impulsive move. He knew it was but he couldn't allow Elizabeth and his cousins to leave. He had wasted too many hours of the day not getting to know this woman. William's primary objective now was to convince them to stay. He spotted his mother waving off some of her last guests and called her over. "Mum, I just heard that Richard, Annie and their guest are leaving to spend the night at Derby. The roads near aunt and uncle's house get so dark at night. Don't you think they would be better served to stay over?"

Turning her attention to Richard, Anne Darcy immediately responded,"Of course you have you stay here. Why didn't you ask in the first place? Your parents are planning to stay over so we can catch up. They won't even get to see you if you head home now."

Richard hadn't asked to stay at Pemberley simply because his parents were staying over. It was a bit of a tradition for the two couples to sit around sipping wine and gossiping about the party for hours into the night. He and his cousin had been hoping to avoid that scene with a quick escape. Perhaps he should have involved Will in his plans but he knew his cousin wouldn't be able to leave the house, especially after missing so much of the party. He was trying to think quickly, for another excuse, when his Aunt Anne found his mother.

"Richard, what is it I hear about plans to go to home tonight? I'm certain I told you I was staying over. It's what we always do. It makes no sense for you to bring my niece and her friend to an empty house." Richard shot a dirty look at William before relenting to the combined inveighing of mother and aunt.

"Are you ladies up for staying here tonight?" Richard asked, resignation thick in his voice.

"If Aunt Anne doesn't mind us crashing. " Turning to her aunt, "Are you sure you're up for more guests Aunt? We simply didn't want to impose after all the work and effort for today's party."

Mrs. Darcy smiled. "You are so thoughtful but you must know family is always welcome, especially you. We so rarely spend time together without my sister in attendance." Aunt and niece laughed, leaving their mutual understanding of their shared relative unexplored for the moment.

Within twenty minutes rooms were sorted and belongings had been transferred from their cars to the house. As a mere guest, Elizabeth followed the lead of her new friends with little complaint. The accommodations at Pemberley exceeded the finest inn she'd ever stayed. Elizabeth had just finished exploring her room for the night and unpacking her toiletries when she heard a knock at the door.

"Um hi. I just wanted to check and make sure you had everything you needed. Towels and the like." William stood awkwardly at the door. He knew Mrs. Reynolds would take care of everything but couldn't help himself. In an effort to justify knocking on her door he'd convinced himself that his actions amounted to little more than being a good host.

"Everything's perfect. Thanks. I was just finishing up in here. Is it really ok that I changed into casual clothes?"

"Definitely. We'll just sit around, chat and eat for the next few hours. You should be comfortable." She looked beautiful in the chocolate brown jumper and jeans she was wearing. The rich color brought out the golden flecks in her eyes and the velvety texture made him want to reach out and touch her. He needed to get his thoughts to safer ground. "I'm sorry we couldn't put you near my cousins but this room is definitely the better place to stay. I, um, thought I could also show you where everyone is gathering. It can be a bit of a maze around here. I wouldn't want you to get lost."

Elizabeth was more than happy to follow the hot rock star who had assigned himself as her tour guide. Lydia would be freaking out if she knew where her big sis was at this moment. At first she hadn't even put all of the pieces together. Her flatmate Anne talked about her cousin Will, the musician, frequently but never had she thought he was the same person she'd paid 80 quid to see in concert last summer. Should she tell him? No, that would be decidedly awkward. And he was so normal. When he first approached he came off a bit shy. She'd used her well honed conversational skills to draw him into conversation. In her line of work, getting people to talk was something with which she'd had a lot of practice, although with a decidedly different population.

They arrived in a beautiful room, large fireplaces bookended the space and a large u-shaped couch facing floor-to-ceiling windows. Walking to one corner Will opened a mahogany cabinet, "Can I get you something to drink?"

Peering in, Elizabeth was confounded by the dizzying array of choices. "Oh, wow. Do you have any wine there?"

"Sure. Red, white or pink?"

"Is there something already opened?"

Richard's voice came from behind. "Never fear. They will all be opened by the end of the night. You should pick what you like. And if you're pouring I'll take a scotch please."

Elizabeth pointed to something pink, took her glass and began to explore the room. It was beautifully decorated, cozy but elegant, nothing like the shag-carpeted den where her own family gathered after the evening meal. Anne came over to check on her friend, "Apologies for extending the family time. I really saw no way out of it once Will raised it to my aunts. They may be a bit nosey but feel free to push them off if it gets to be too much. Richard and I will try to keep them out of your business. They are a curious bunch and with a newcomer in their midst I'm sure they'll pepper you with questions. It's kindly meant and all but..." Anne shrugged and then let the end of the sentence hang out there.

Once they were all gathered, drinks in hand and comfortably seated, a few minutes were spent on introductions. It was relatively painless and Will was relieved his relatives took the role of inquisitor, extracting the basics of Elizabeth's background with no effort on his part. She hailed from Hertfordshire and was working towards a masters degree in social work, her specialty focused on substance abuse. She'd lost a childhood friend to an overdose during her second year at University and the experience sealed her focus. An internship at Rosings clinic had brought her to Kent and she was grateful for the chance to take over her friend Charlotte's lease for the time being. Anne's relatives were respectful and didn't probe into her family's situation, one that Elizabeth knew was decidedly below them.

After Elizabeth's time under the Darcy-Fitzwilliam microscope, attention shifted to Anne. It had been awhile since they had seen their niece and were interested in catching up on her life and progress as a writer. Anne had always been creative but a diagnosis of MS had made it difficult to pursue music and art so writing filled the void. She filled them in on her latest book, currently in the hands of the editors, awaiting the next set of mark-ups.

Richard was the next up in their questioning although he seemed quite effective in using humor to continually deflect inquiries into his work and personal life. Recently retired from military service he was stepping his toes into civilian life as a consultant to a large multi-national defense company. It remained to be seen whether he would be happy in such a role. Perhaps if he loved what he was doing he would have been more open about it. Either way he knew his family would support him.

They were well into the evening when the spotlight turned onto William. "Would you like to share what brought the Bingley twins to my party today? I personally penned each of those invitations and while I extended one to Charles Bingley he sent his regrets."

"Honestly mum I have no idea. I certainly did not invite them. Caroline has been hitting up my phone recently asking to meet up. I may have said something about your garden party to put her off. I never dreamed she would simply show up."

Anne Darcy emitted a small grunt. Arms folded she looked over at her son. "I know I raised you to be a gentleman but I think this situation has gone past any reasonable point. You're going to have to employ different tactics to shake her off."

A small smile crossed William's face. "I think I've taken care of it mum. I'll keep you posted." He had no intention of sharing his most recent efforts, but he hoped the message was finally delivered.

"Oooh Mr. Mysterious. Care to share?" Richard teased.

"No. I don't kiss and tell. Besides Richard, you managed to deflect all inquiries into your love life. I think we still need to hear more from you."

"Oh boys. Stop your bickering. We were having a lovely time catching up. We haven't gotten to the important discussion of the party," Grace Fitzwilliam implored. She never liked to see any kind of discord amongst family, something that was often put to the test when in the same room as her husband's older sister, but unnecessary with such a friendly group assembled.

The older generation turned their attention to a recitation of the day's events while the younger group went in search of additional snacks. Upon their return from the kitchen, new groups formed, with Anne Darcy garnering the attention of her namesake, Grace Fitzwilliam cornering her son, George Darcy and Henry Fitzwilliam engrossed in an animated discussion about Brexit, leaving William and Elizabeth alone.

It was exactly how William was hoping the evening would turn. The conversation started off a bit awkwardly but they soon found common ground on the subject of books. Elizabeth had read literature in university, explaining how she had been torn between following her father's footsteps into literature or pursuing her desire to more directly help people. After two years towards a degree in literature at her father's alma mater, while volunteering at the local substance abuse clinic, Elizabeth had determined she would finish her undergraduate degree and then pursue a masters degree in the field of social work. "It wasn't the most direct path but with only one year left at Cambridge, it didn't seem to make sense to disregard that hard won education." It seemed the two had much in common as he subsequently shared. Having initially pursued economics in deference to his own father, William graduated and then set his degree aside to follow his passion for music.

"Was your father terribly disappointed?"

William shrugged. "At times he says he regrets the day mum talked him into piano lessons for me. I know he's only joking though. My folks have always encouraged me to follow my interests. I think my dad had hoped I would grow out of it but he's happy if I'm happy. How about your folks?"

Elizabeth laughed, "My mum can't understand my choices. That's no surprise though as I've always been the one in the family to try her nerves. My dad seems to have understood though."

"Social work is such a noble pursuit. Far more than music. I'm sure your parents are proud of you."

"I don't know. The way I see it, we each make people feel better in our own way using our talents. I'm sure there are many who are touched by your music." Lizzy insisted.

William thought back to the song he'd written earlier. He had hoped he would "touch" Caroline but not necessarily in a way that would make her happy or feel good. "What if I told you that today I wrote a song for someone that could only make the person unhappy, or at the very least, indignant."

Lizzy's brows raised at this provocative statement. "I guess it would depend on what caused you to write the song and your aim in sharing the song, if you chose to."

"Well, the song was written for an audience of one - the person for whom it was written. I wrote it because I've tried every other avenue I could think of to tell this person to stop calling me and showing up to my events uninvited."

A smile crossed her face. "I see. I think the only way I can judge whether you used your talents for the greater good is to hear this song."

William laughed shaking his head, "Ahh, no. As I said, it was only written for an audience of one. I don't want to embarrass this person by playing it for anyone else."

Lizzy looked around and saw that everyone else was still engaged in their separate conversations. "If you can't play it for me then you'll have to sort this conundrum out on your own...but given I don't know who it was written for, it can't possibly be embarrassing to the person. And as I just met you today, I truly cannot know. I think I am the one person here who could listen to the song and give you an honest appraisal of whether you used your talents for the greater good."

William was interested in an honest assessment of his latest tune. In his heart, he loved to play music for people. Who would it hurt if he played this song only for Elizabeth? She didn't know Caroline and was unlikely to ever be in her company. "Alright, you've convinced me. Follow me."

Elizabeth followed William to a room next door filled with various instruments. Picking up a guitar he quickly tuned it and grabbed a chair. He'd captured his scribbles from earlier on his phone and asked Elizabeth to hold it so he could see it as he played. His memory for his own compositions was quite good but it was always good to review his notes.

Richard had spotted their exit and followed quickly behind. Seeing William set himself up to play Richard turned back and grabbed the rest of the group. Quietly they entered the room through a second door. The song was simple; three basic chords supporting the melody. It was quite a pointed and straightforward set of lyrics and yet Elizabeth had to admit the whole song, taken together, was well constructed. She could imagine it getting quite a bit of air play if he ever did release it. Just as quickly as the song began, it ended. It took a moment or two before applause erupted. Both William and Elizabeth jumped, the guitar narrowly missing the floor. Neither had noticed the crowd in the back of the music room.

"That was bloody brilliant. Is that the message you sent to dear Caroline?" Richard crowed. William's face was bright red, his secret discovered.

"Guys, that song is not for public consumption. I don't intend for the song to go anywhere really." William set the guitar aside and retrieved his phone from Elizabeth.

"Are you kidding? It's such a great song and it'll totally be an inside joke. Only your nearest and dearest are going to know you wrote it for catty Caroline," Anne enthused.

William was ready for the conversation to end when his phone started buzzing. Odd. Harry Brooks was calling at 10:30 at night? Will decided to let it go to voicemail. He was probably calling to organize a squash match and the current discussion was requiring his focus. He'd call him back in the morning. William was about to put his phone away when a text arrived from Harry's sister Judith. "Pure F-ing Genius!" was all it said. A Facebook message followed from a third person with a link to a short video. Without thinking he clicked on the screen. At least a dozen familiar faces filled the phone screen singing at the tops of their lungs, "My momma don't like you and she likes everyone." Confused at first, William clicked the video again. "What the..." He had no idea how his song was out in the public. Quickly he checked his phone to verify that the only text he'd sent was to Caroline. His messages were few and the only one today was a single one to Caroline. Scratching his head he quickly did another check on Facebook. Ugh, the song seemed to be posted and reposted. And then he saw it, a picture of Caroline, passed out on a couch at what looked to be Harry's flat. He - and Caroline - would never live this down.

* * *

So Lizzy and Will know each other a little better but Caroline continues to intrude...


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the response to this bit of fun. This is the final installment. Hope it satisfies and I promise to get back to work on It Is What It Is!

* * *

It had probably taken close to a minute before she began to process the profound silence of those around her, only the song could be heard. The tune was catchy and she rarely paid attention to the words of songs anyway. But there was something in the looks people were giving her that made her stop to listen. It was likely only another fifteen seconds before the laughter began, first stifled sniggers and then, full out laughing. AT HER!

It would have been better had she stood up, grabbed her phone and bolted to the door but her well honed instincts failed her and now she was lying flat on the couch, eyes closed as the song continued on, tormenting her. It couldn't have been more than three and half - four minutes max - before she was greeted with blessed silence. In her mind she knew she should get up but really she wanted to simply melt into the floor. Embarrassment warred with unmitigated anger at Will Darcy. How dare he humiliate her. Nevermind she had not thought to listen to the song in private first. No. This was war and he would live to regret the humiliation she was suffering.

Susan was attempting to wake her. And then the mocking whispers began. Caroline Bingley would not stoop to their level. No. She would rise above such baseless torments. Slowly Caroline opened her eyes to find a room full of eyes looking back. Raising herself up from her place on the couch Caroline met each person's gaze.

Her phone was in the hands of that hateful Judith Brooks. Straightening her shoulders, Caroline walked directly to Judith. "Excuse me. May I?"

"Oh sure. Hey, when you talk to Will, please let him know this latest song is really, um, catchy. I'm sure I'll be humming it for days."

Caroline snatched the phone and turned to look each person in eye, daring them to laugh again, before walking out of the flat. She found herself on the street with little in the way of direction or thought. She wanted to get as far away from Harry Brooks' flat as she could but alas even Uber was failing her at this moment. Twenty minutes was an outrageous amount of time to wait when she couldn't bear to see anyone from the party. Should she stoop to Uber pool? There was a car only 4 minutes away. Yes, she was that desperate.

Just her luck, the car had one other passenger who seemed eager to talk. "Good evening Miss. May I introduce myself. Well of course I should if we are to share this fine car this evening. My name is William Collins and I am just so thrilled with this new Uber service aren't you? Black taxis are just outrageously priced and isn't a ride shared always a more companionable one. I certainly find this to be my preferred way to travel within the great city of London." Caroline could not even manage a nod before the man continued. "I'm sorry I don't think I caught your name. Are you from London or did you move here from elsewhere?"

He looked at her expectantly, edging closer to her as each moment passed. Reluctantly she addressed the small, talkative man. "I'm not talking with you. I don't want a companion on this ride. I want quiet," Caroline spat out.

"Well I must say if that is your attitude then why did you ever call for a ride share? I don't believe I've ever met with anyone as rude. My mother always taught me to be courteous. You never know when you might need a friend to call upon and if you go around burning bridges before they've even been built, you're going to be a lonely person indeed. Yes, that has always been her counsel and in my humble opinion, no truer words have ever been spoken. Why just last week..."

A headache began to press Caroline's temples. Why. Why was she to be so tormented. The noise needed to stop. "Shut it. Stop speaking. I don't want to hear so much as a grunt from your lips."

"Well I'll say. Alvin, did you hear how she spoke to me? I say you better reflect that in her Uber rating. That level of rudeness should not be rewarded with a positive rider rating." Apparently Halitosis, as she'd named him - she couldn't be bothered to remember his actual name - was on a first name basis with the driver. Blessedly, the driver finally pulled up to the Chelsea address Caroline had requested. Home. A hot bath, a glass of wine, and oblivion.

But oblivion was not to be her friend this evening. No, her phone was buzzing incessantly. Turning it off was her only resort. That, and booking a very long vacation, but not before doing something painful to one William Darcy. No sooner had Caroline immersed herself in the bath than Louisa and Louis burst into her bathroom. "Oh thank God you're ok," Louisa exclaimed. "Well, in a relative sense anyway. I've been calling and calling and you haven't answered your phone. I was so worried about you after I saw the Facebook posts."

"Get out of my bathroom!" Caroline roared. Head throbbing, she only wanted to be alone and yet, here was Louis Hurst, hobbling in and out of her bathroom on crutches. At least the bath bubbles protected her modesty somewhat. But Louisa did not move. "Caro, you need to tell me what happened tonight. I went onto Facebook to post the pictures from the garden party and there were these horrible posts about you and some song. I was so worried I made Louis call a car and bring me home."

"I'm not talking about it. You and Louis can leave now."

"I'm calling Charles. I'll be waiting in the living room so you can explain what is actually going on. By the looks of social media, you have royally humiliated yourself and you need all the help you can get."

She wanted to cry. Louisa was right that she was humiliated. How was she ever to face anyone in their circle ever again? Caroline slowly drew herself out of the tub and wrapped herself in a fluffy white towel. At least she was still surrounded by the finer things in life. That thought was enough to carry her back into her room to her Italian silk pajamas which smoothed over some of the hurt she was feeling.

* * *

William had a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Excusing himself from the music room, his first thought had been to call Caroline, but the image of her passed out on a couch, his song playing in the background, stalled that action. It seemed his childhood friend Harry knew something about this mess. A call to him might answer the basic questions.

"Darcy, the hero of the hour," was how Harry answered his phone. A roar of what was likely approval sounded through the phone.

"Um hey Harry. I'm calling to see if you can tell me what's going on? I'm a bit in the dark here in Derbyshire."

"Happy to mate, although I must first tell you that while I've always thought you've had some talent, that song you wrote for Caroline blew me away. Who knew you had it in you? It's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for." Harry chuckled and William noticed the background noise was lower.

"Please, just tell me what happened this evening." Harry heard the plea in Will's voice and decided he must really not know what had occurred. Putting his amusement aside, Harry began to fill in the gaps of William's understanding: the dinner party, Caroline arriving quite full of herself with stories of Darcy's devotion to her and Anne Darcy's garden soirée, the unveiling of the song, and Caroline's subsequent retreat.

"I'll have to admit Harry, she pushed my buttons and that song was the result of it, but never did I imagine having it played to a room full of people. My intent was not to make a spectacle of her or me. I just, well, I was frustrated and the outcome was that song."

"Remind me never to get on your bad side Will." Harry laughed again which was answered by Darcy's groan. "Seriously, you should not take this on. Caroline created this spectacle. You wrote a song that was intended for her ears only and she put herself in a situation where it was played for a decent slice of upper-crust London 20-somethings. The sympathy is all with you Will. She has annoyed so many of us for years with her pretense to superiority. It was a matter of time before she was properly humbled."

"That might be but I didn't want to be the person who did the humbling. I'm not quite sure what to do now. Do you know where Caroline went?"

"I've no idea but I imagine she went home. You do need to think about this song. At least one person had set their phone to record when she announced to the room that you'd written a song especially for her. I'm also afraid my sister had her hands on Caro's phone long enough that she likely forwarded the text to herself. This cat is very well out of its bag my friend."

Will was silent; weighed down by feelings of responsibility. He'd created the vile song and while he didn't particularly like Caroline he felt bad. His thoughts then went to Charles. They'd been best mates for years and he worried how this would impact their friendship. Better to own up to this quickly then have Charles hear about it from someone else, most likely Caroline. "I should probably give a call to Charles. Can you at least ask Judith to delete the song from her phone? I'd hate the thought of her sending it out to all of her friends."

"I'll see what I can do but I'm afraid the damage is already likely done. Judith and Caroline do not get along well. She was annoyed when she learned Caro was coming tonight but I couldn't not include her given the group that I was inviting. And give Charlie my best. I certainly don't hold his sister against him. Everyone has at least one unfortunate relative."

The pair rang off and William took a deep breath and tried to organize his thoughts. He had only a moment before his phone began to buzz again, this time it was his best friend. "Hey Charlie."

"Do you want to explain to me what the h- is going on?!"

"It's umm, complicated." William wasn't used to dealing with an angry or forceful Charlie and this side of him was throwing him off kilter.

"I may not be as smart as you but I trust you can dumb it down enough even for me. Explain to me why you decided it would be fun to humiliate my sister in front of all our friends thereby causing her to disrupt my vacation in Greece with demands that I come home immediately to file changes against you for defamation of character."

This situation was getting worse by the moment.

"To be clear. I did not decide to humiliate Caroline. She managed to do that quite on her own. I will admit to doing something that was less than honorable however, for which I feel terrible." The remorse was genuine in Will's voice and Charlie had to give him credit. Will was a good guy and he'd been surprised when he and Caroline started dating. To see it end badly was not a complete shocker, especially given how well he knew his sister and best friend.

"Alright. Lay it on me. What did my sister do this time to provoke your less than gentlemanly side?"

William shared what he'd been experiencing, what he'd done and what he'd heard. It was an unflattering picture to paint of anyone and not one he relished telling someone's brother. Charles was quiet throughout his recitation, occasionally a groan or curse crossing his lips. "Will, I'm sorry. She certainly can make the most gentle lamb transform into a lion and she's certainly done it this time. I'll call Louisa and see if she can convince Caroline she needs to take a little vacation until I can find a way out of this current social disaster she's created. It might need to be a rather long vacation. Perhaps my dad needs a family representative in Tokyo for a bit. Her ability to insult anyone there is likely limited as she knows no Japanese."

He felt bad for Charles and Will promised he'd call his friend back if he thought of any ideas that might help. Perhaps he had a long, lost cousin in desperate need of a wife?

Elizabeth had been watching in the background. It was clear William was very upset by the impact his song was having and was plagued with regret. As an outsider she wasn't sure what she could or should do however. William was surrounded by his nearest and dearest, head in hands. She thought it best if she excused herself to leave them be. As she gave her good nights, she thought she'd seen a look of regret cross Will's face. Was that for her?

His look plagued her as she attempted to find sleep. It was no use, her mind was whirling with thoughts of their short time together. She'd never been so attracted a man, not just his body, but literally everything about him interested her. After an hour of tossing and turning, she turned the light on and thought to maybe get a cup of tea or a glass of water. Elizabeth's fine sense of direction guided her back to the kitchen where she found not only water but Will, sitting at the counter. "I'm sorry to disturb you. I couldn't sleep and thought to get something to drink."

Will stood quickly, almost knocking the stool over as he did. "Oh, allow me to help you. I just made myself a cup of tea, do you want some?"

Elizabeth gladly accepted the tea and took a seat next to him. "Did you find any resolution after I left?" Sadly, William shook his head no. An idea had popped into her head and she wondered if it was appropriate to offer it. Before she allowed her sensible side to overwhelm her impulsive side, Elizabeth found herself speaking. "I had an idea. I'm not sure if it's any good but if you are interested in hearing it..." William looked up, searching her face. He'd convinced himself that she would have nothing to do with him after this debacle. To hear she might help him, well, he'd definitely listen to what she had to say.

Elizabeth began a bit hesitantly. "Perhaps you could position this as a publicity ploy. Pretend that Caroline had been "in" on the joke all along and that the stage was set to promote your new album." She had Will's attention and so Elizabeth continued. "Obviously Caroline would have to play along but you could even make the music video including her as the protagonist. If she could set aside her anger to see the humor of the situation, she would be laughing with everyone rather than being the one laughed at." William broke out in a broad grin. "That's brilliant. It would require a bit more than a video but I bet Charlie could convince his sister as a way to restore her reputation. People might even like her more if she showed she was willing to be laughed at. Thank you Elizabeth. That idea is so genius I could kiss you!"

Elizabeth licked her lips before saying, "Umm, ok."

Will didn't wait more than a moment before taking advantage of her agreement. The pair ultimately moved back to the family room, kissing, talking and cuddling. They were fortunate to be woken by the family dog a little after 6 in the morning. Being found by one of Will's relatives was not how either wanted their newly born relationship to be discovered.

In the end, William Darcy co-starred in his next music video with Caroline Bingley, complete with interviews and clips where they pretended to be good chums. It had taken more than a few conversations to convince Caroline that the video and associated interviews were in her best interest but it turned out that Caroline had quite the flair for dramatics and played the annoying and oblivious victim with aplomb turning the worst of the gossip into a funny and engaging story. That didn't mean Caroline wasn't a first-class diva on set or that she was in any way happy to learn that the idea came from William's new girlfriend Elizabeth Bennet. The two of them together were quite frankly disgusting. Who knew that a Darcy could be such a moon calf over anyone let alone a nobody from Hertfortshire working with drug addicts?

The End

* * *

So, what do you think? Based on the comments thus far I think many will be upset that Elizabeth saved Caroline's you-know-what but I thought this ending would keep with the fluff billing.

Let me know!


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